Survey says teens are more shopping sensible, like their parents 

“Is this a good deal? Should I buy this?” are questions many teens of today are now asking.

Gone are spending sprees and splurging for the new school year. Teens are shopping like their parents during the back-to-school season, putting a lot of pressure on retailers to change the way they market to them.

According to a Deloitte poll, teens and young adults are more thrifty nowadays—a habit likely picked up from their recession-scarred parents.

Today’s students recycle more clothes from the previous school year, mixing and matching older and newer styles. They also shop year-round for things they need, so that they spend less money this time of year.

“I think it’s important to shop sensibly, especially if you’re a college student. It’s hard to find time to shop during the school year in between jobs or projects,” said Madeline Hemmings, 22, a student from Cal State Long Beach. “Personally, I’d rather spend my money on experiences and social occasions, such as dinners or concerts.”

Teens and young adults are also less likely to buy anything that’s not on sale, according to the poll of 1,000 parents. The number of students who will willingly reuse last year’s items rose to 39 percent from 26 percent between 2011 and 2015.

According to a survey of 6,500 by the National Retail Federation, teens are generally spending less. On average, families with school-age children are expected to spend $630.36 this year. That’s down 6 percent from last year, and results have registered declines for four out of the past seven years.

“I always look at the price; it has to be cheap and on sale,” said 21-year-old Marcus Romero from Chino, California. “Pretty much anything less than $20.”

Overall, back-to-school spending this school year should hit $42.5 billion, up 2.1 percent from the previous year, according to research firm The Retail Economist. The amount is much lower than the 5 to 6 percent average gains typically seen in a healthy economy.

Modern youth behavior is an extension of how their parents learned to shop since 2008 when retailers pushed discounts to entice people to buy during the downturn. The trend helped to lure shoppers, but it also got them addicted to such deals, making it difficult for stores to make money because discounts cut into profits.

Massive discounting has cut into sales from July through September, the second biggest shopping period of the year behind the winter holidays. Sales during that period were 24.9 percent of total sales annually last year, down from 25.8 percent in 2003, according to The Retail Economist.

“Consumers are sending a message to retailers that says ‘the back-to-school shopping season just isn’t that important anymore,’” Deloitte’s Alison Paul told the Associated Press.

The shift is changing how stores market to teens and young adults. Whereas most stores’ promotions would end around Labor Day, companies are now extending deals through September. Retailers are also pulling together complete outfits from different brands in stores to make it easier to shop for looks. With the popularity of social media, brands are aiming to be more easily discovered.

“Typically, I tend to look online first to see if they have anything I like. For example, I check out H&M or Forever21.com. Then I go to the store, try on the clothes I like, and I just purchase what looks good but is also affordable,” said 24-year-old Francis Saunders, also from Cal State Long Beach.

Teens are also more relaxed, less impatient about shopping.

“I only shop if I absolutely need more clothes; other than that, it’s pretty rare,” Saunders said.

Many teens surveyed said they would delay buying things not needed immediately, such as new jeans, until well after school starts and the weather cools. They also hope for bigger discounts.

“I think I buy on sale because my mom never buys something unless it’s on sale,” said 14-year-old Arianna Schaden.

“When I shop, price is the first thing I look at. Usually, I go straight to the sale rack,” agreed Hemmings. “I also love going to cheaper thrift stores!”

In response to this new thinking, department stores Macy’s and J.C. Penney are now staggering back-to-school promotions through September. J.C. Penney also is increasing the back-to-school merchandise it carries in late August and September to include more denim, backpacks, and body basics such as underwear.

Hollister, a division of Abercrombie & Fitch, says it is timing promotion deals on items that shoppers most want at that time; for instance, trendy tops and T-shirts with graphics.

As if gearing for a research paper, teens are also researching the looks they want online and follow popular hashtags on social media so they can piece together looks before they get there. Google said its image searches for “school outfit” have grown dramatically in the past three years, and soared 76 percent in July.

Social media presents certain challenges for retailers afraid teens will bypass their stores because they are focused on items they already want to buy. To combat this, retailers are trying to get teens’ attention even before they visit stores.

For instance, Macy’s is identifying key trends and hashtags on social media that are getting lots of followers. It now highlights shoe trends using the popular hashtag FWIS, which means “from where I stand.” The retailer also is putting together more looks from different labels to create outfits on mannequins or tables in the teen department.

J.C. Penney uses Pinterest personalities like Katherine Accettura and Mai Phung who are influential among teens to market its back-to-school fashions. The company says it sees up to 500 times more re-pins than if it promoted the product itself.

Finally, retailers are marketing specific looks to attract teens with a more independent style, inspired by what they see on Instagram.

For example, J.C. Penney’s back-to-school ad campaign called “Bend the Trend” tries to show how easy it is to put together trends for a personalized style. Like many teen retailers, Hollister has scaled back its logoed merchandise.

“Today, the customer is the center of everything we do,” said Hollister president Fran Horowitz.

Interviews and studies show today’s teens are less interested in how they look, versus the experience itself.

“It’s funny, I wouldn’t think twice about paying $15 for a meal, but I would hesitate on a $15 shirt,” said Hemmings. “To me, fashion isn’t necessary what you wear, it’s how you wear it. When people compliment me on my clothes, my usual response is, ‘Thanks! It was on sale!’”